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SundayReflections - 2014
This page contains the full texts of the #SundayReflections for the liturgical period spanning from October 05 to November 23, 2014. #SundayRelections is a weekend project that started in the Fall of 2014 in which I aim to share my thoughts and reflections on the readings at Sunday Mass. It is not intended to be or to replace the homily at Mass, even though they may sometimes themes and ideas. The #SundayReflections are presented in reverse chronological order, with the most-recent at the top. __TOC__ November 23, 2014: Solemnity of Christ the King Today we come to the final Sunday of the Church's calendar: the solemn feast of Christ the Universal King. It is a day for us to consider the end times - because it is a day for us to consider the present. In the Lord's Prayer, we are taught by the Saviour to ask that the Heavenly Father's "will be done on earth as it is in heaven." In these last few weeks we have considered glimpses of how this can happen. In today's readings, we have more concrete examples of it. In today's First Reading and Responsorial Psalm, we proclaim God's love as a shepherd loves his sheep. The flock gathers and stays around the shepherd. But at the end of the First Reading we get a cautionary warning: "He will judge His people like sheep and goats." Now, the analogy does not carry too far, but it works. The flock is separated as the lambs grow up: some are sheep and some are goats. Why the sheep and goats are separated depends on the shepherd and the flock. The point is that they are, in fact, separated from each other. And so when we come to the Gospel Reading from Matthew 25, The Judgement of Nations, Jesus uses this rather drastic separation image. In the end, He who created and redeemed and sanctified s will judge us by the life we led: Did you love as I loved? In Matthew 25, we are presented with what the Church has dubbed the Corporal Works of Mercy; and along with the Spiritual Works of Mercy, these concrete acts we are called to do show our love for God and neighbour. The Kingdom of Jesus does not centre around a palace or a golden throne: it centres on the love of Him as King for His people. He cares for His people so much that He calls for His people to be witnesses and examples of this fact to each other. We are, by Baptism, anointed and joined to Christ as priest, prophet, and king. He offered Himself for us, just as we offer ourselves for Him and for others. He showed us how to live a loving life, just as we are to do so - and teach others in doing so. Christ our King rules in a non-oppressive way. He rules in a liberating way so that we may be able to free others from the things that prevent them from loving. This is the "eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace" that the preface of Mass today speaks of. And we are meant to be heirs to that Kingdom. It starts by bringing it to life in the here and now. Sure, it's difficult - sometimes it may even be impractical. Especially here in the West, sometimes it can be seen as dangerous even if it's not --- and it's definitely not the case when you compare it to what other places around the world are experiencing. But we are called to try. We are meant to see the face of Jesus in all that we meet. We are meant to be the face of Jesus to those whom we meet. "Whatsoever you do to the least of My brethren, that you do unto Me." November 16, 2014: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Today we return to the regular cycle of Sunday readings as we celebrate the penultimate Sunday of the Church's year. And so it might help us to look briefly at what we didn't get to see in these past Sundays when we skipped them in celebration of other liturgical days. On the 31st Sunday, Jesus speaks of true humility. When loving God, and neighbor, we do not exalt ourselves. On the 32nd Sunday, Jesus speaks of always being prepared to celebrate the Lamb's Banquet. The invitation is always there, and the ultimate one is at a moment's notice away. Today on the 33rd Sunday, we bring these together: our actions in this life have consequences in the eternal life. The parable of the talents is not a story about investing money you earn, or even money lent to you. It is about being wise in the use of what you have. Each of the people who received talents were given an amount "according to each one's ability." They were already doing something, they already excelled in something. The Master's expectation was that they would do best with what they are given, not with more and not with less. In the same way, for us, we are given by the Lord our Master gifts in our everyday lives - moments when we are called to spread His love... and the abilities to be capable of doing so. We are always called to share in His loving and saving work. Being a Christian is not so much a title as it is a job description. We work to witness to God and His radical love for us. And so, indeed: to those who have much, more will be given, for they know how to wisely and prudently work for the Kingdom. But to those who have little, even what they have will be taken away - for they lose sight of the purpose of why they're given blessings in the first place. We must humble ourselves, yes. We must be prepared for the time of the Banquet, yes. But we must always be mindful that there is a purpose to our lives. The man who was given one talent, if he had doubled it, would have done so much more than the one who had 5 and ended up with 10. This is what we are called to do: do much with what little we have for the praise anf glory of God and His name. Let us ask our Blessed Mother Mary to help us see the way to Her Son. May we genuinely trust that He gives us "our daily bread," what we truly need to live the life to which He calls us. May we share this life with others - and allow them to share it with us as well - so that one day we may all hear the Master's voice: "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master." November 09, 2014: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica Today we celebrate the feast of the dedication of the Catheral Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome. Once more we interrupt the regular cycle of Sunday readings to mark this special day. The Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral of the Pope as Bishop of the Diocese of Rome - it is his parish. In a sense, we are all parishioners of this Papal Parish, and the anniversary of the dedication of a parish church is a feast day for all who belong to that parish. St John Lateran stands on land once owned by the Lateran Family, once of the first wealthy families that converted to Christianity in Rome. They gave the property to the Church. The Basilica is built near the site of an old large baptistery, a chapel for Baptisms, where many of Rome's first Christians were Baptized. The church is dedicated to the intercessions of John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. The readings for today highlight the reality that we are God's Church, His People, "foreshadowed in visible buildings" as today's preface says. In the first reading, we join Ezekiel's vision of the Temple flowing with water - and this water becomes the source and cause of abundant life. This for us is an image of Baptism, where the waters cause us to be cleansed from the death of sin and live a new life in Christ. In today's second reading, St Paul speaks of us as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. In another place, he speaks of us as the living stones of God's Church - built on the foundation of Christ as the cornerstone. The Church is primarily the People of God. We are a community of faith called by the Father, gathered by the Son, and united by the Holy Spirit. The only reason why we can speak of Church - or even church - is that we are God's People: all of us, together. In today's Gospel passage, we see Jesus' desire to cleanse the Temple of all that takes away from its meaning and purpose. The Jerusalem Temple was the place where the people believed that the very presence of God on earth resided. "Zeal for the Lord's House shall consume Me." Jesus was not so much angry at the people - but at the fact that people have forgotten (or have failed to remember) why the Temple exists. But now we are the Temple, we are the Church: each of us and all of us together. And the prophecy still applies: "Zeal for you consumes Me." Christ wants to come in and cleanse us of all that takes away from our meaning and purpose. He invites us to be signs for all that God continues to be here on earth, yes, even as He is in Heaven. Jesus invites us to be His followers only to lead others to follow Him and share as one community in one communion. This is the reality of the Church: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. This is the reality of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith. Let us, then, on this feast day, examine ourselves: Do we hear Christ's invitation? Do we let Him in? Do we show Him forth? What are the cattle, and birds, and coins, and tables within ourselves as a Temple that He wants us to help Him drive away? May John the Baptist help us renew our commitment to the Lamb of God who tales away our sins and brings us to new and renewed life. May John the Evangelist help us live in the Light of Christ as His people, with as much zeal for God as He does for us. May Mary, Mother of the Church, continue to guide us to Her Son. "I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, that my name may be there forever." November 02, 2014: Commemoration of All Souls We interrupt the regular cycle of Sunday readings as we celebrate today the Commemoration of All Souls. Today, we remember all our departed loved ones - and as on the day of their funeral, we remember that for us "life is changed, not ended." We believe that through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus the eternal life of the world to come becomes possible for us. The hope of our own resurrection dawns: death is not the final word any longer. Yet we are still left to deal with the feeling of loss and mourning - no one can deny that. The separation caused by death is painful. This is illumined by the feasts of this weekend. All Souls' Day comes on the heels of All Saints' Day. The two are connected. On All Saints' Day (Nov 01), we celebrate the fact that we "believe in the communion of saints," as we say every Sunday in the Creed. In this Communion of Saints, the entirety of God's people set apart - the Church - is united in its Triumph, Mission, and Suffering. That is why it is fitting that the Resurrection of Jesus, which we celebrate each and every Sunday, be the basis of our commemoration today. The Triumph of Heaven is a joyful participation in that promised eternal life - already attained by those who witnessed to God in this life. The Mission of the earthly Church is to continue and strengthen that same witness in the present time and place - by love and justice. The Suffering of the Church in Purgatory is a pain of purification, the final stage of preparation for their certain entry into Heaven. We pray for the departed souls not primarily because we are separated - rather we pray with them because we are ever more united. By our commemoration, we declare once more that we "look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the lofe of the world to come." And so together, as one Church of God, we pray for and with those who have gone before us. We pray that, by the mercy of God, they may finally enter the heavenly banquet; and that, by the love of God, we may one day do so as well. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon them. May they all rest in peace. Amen. October 26, 2014: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Today's Gospel passage is probably one of the most recognized Christian soundbites ever. It's heard, but is it listened to? Jesus takes Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and couples it with Leviticus 19:18 to summarize "all the Law and all the Prophets." In essence, then, Jesus was not being "original" in teaching the greatest commandment. He was being precisely a teacher - summarizing. The invitation to follow Christ, as we have heard articulated in the last few weeks, is a call to accept Him for who He is entirely. And to choose to follow Him.meane to try and live out all the implications of accepting His humanity and His divinity. And so we put God at the center of our lives - above all things - with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. This "vertical love" is easily articulated and we've hinted at before how to try and live it out in the witness of our everyday lives. But what of the "horizontal love" by which we value our neighbor as ourself? Jesus says, "love your neighbor as yourself." In other words, He is calling us to treat each other with equal dignity. Think about it: if you do not love who you are, then what is the standard for loving your neighbor? What Jesus reminds us, then, is the fact that He loves us all - more than we can ever imagine. And so there is a proper response. That proper response is to treat one another as loved by God. And if we love God, we will truly care for those whom He loves. The horizontal love, then, is never separated from the vertical love... it flows from it amd leads back to its renewal. " | + - = † " Our lives as Christians are full of balancing extremes. And yes, at times it is hard. No one said it would be easy. But we are called to be who we are - we are created for a purpose. We are made in the image and likeness of God who IS love. The best way to do that is to first acknowledge the One who made us, then to acknowledge all who are created by Him. Today let us ask ourselves in reflective evaluation: Who is God in my life? Where is my heart, mind, soul, strength in relation to Him? And then we ask: How does my love of God strengthen my love of neighbor? And how does my love of neighbor witness to my love of God? Am I living a life worthy of my Christian calling? Am I at least trying? What can I do better? And we ask these questions not just today - but everyday of our earthly lives as we journey to that heavenly goal set before us. "Love God above all, love your neighbor as yourself." October 19, 2014: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Isn't this a very familiar phrase for us. Even when we don't believe in Jesus or in God, we know this saying. Much more, we think - even as believers - that we know what it's saying. No doubt many reflections on this passage will center on the legality of fair taxation, or even the role of legitimate government. But is hat the entirety of what Jesus teaches us today? If we know anything about Scripture, we should know that there's so much more. It might help us to look at today's reading from Isaiah as well: God declares, "I am the Lord, there is no other." The Jewish people have taken the words of Deuteronomy 6:4 as their daily prayer: "Hear, Israel, the Lord is one. The Lord alone!" There is only one God. Everything else is not God. Therefore we must render unto God what is rightly and justly His: our adoring worship. So what does this have to do with Cæsar and taxes? The Pharisees were trying to test the earthly controversy of Jesus. They were asking "is he with us?" and "is he for us?" in the earthly sense. They were trying to trap Jesus in an ideological corner. If Jesus says Roman taxes are good, then the Jews shouls shun him because Rome is oppressive... he should have no followers. If Jesus says Roman taxes are bad, the Roman officials shouls be told so he is arrested... he'll have no followers. But Jesus escapes this dilemma by saying that there is a way to balance how you live on earth with how to anticipate living in heaven. And that way is, in a word, respect. When we respect someone, we acknowledge its inherent value. We care for and treasure it. If we respect God, we will give Him His due. If we respect government, we will give it its due. And it doesn't stop there. If we respect each other, we will give (and we will receive) our due. It's all about respect for the inherent dignity of everyone, and everything. Respect is not simply deferring to others by rendering yourself worthless... nor is it a fragile indifference that makes you cold and heartless. Everyone has their inherent dignity, inherent value. Everyone has something to contribute. Government should acknowledge that of its citizens: it's called "rights." The people should acknowledge that of its government: it's called "responsibilities." Rights and responsibilities come together they are inseperable... might I use a fancy word: they are contommitant. We can't have one without the other. Rights. Responsibilities. Yes, as earthly and national citizens. But what of our heavenly citizenship? "Give to Cæsar what is Cæsar's; give to God what is God's." This is what Jesus calls to remember today, and everyday. Let us pray that we may always take to heart this virtue of respect, that we may treasure it, that we may cultivate it. We seek the intercession of Blessed ‪#‎PaulVI‬, who used his pontificate to teach about respect for God and for fellow human no matter the condition. And at the close of ‪#‎Synod14‬, we pray for a renewed respect for the value of the Family as the building block of society and the Church. "Give to Cæsar what is Cæsar's, to God what is God's." October 12, 2014: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Do we know where we stand? Do we act like it? The readings for this Sunday revolve around the image of a banquet - a meal - a gathering - a party - a celebration. When we host a dinner party - and our society suggests that we do this a lot - we are careful about the table and the company around it. We can't quite do what the king in today's Gospel did... or, rather, we don;t do what he did. We don't go around to invite strangers. Can you imagine how the bride and groom felt knowing that the guest list put together for them was a dud? And these extras come instead? The Lord prepares a banquet for us. He invites us to come and share a meal with Him... He invites us to share His life to the world. But the reality is that not everyone answers this invitation positively. Not everyone answers the invitation at all. Not everyone hears it. "Many are called but few are chosen." The rich food and choice well-aged wines spoken of by Isaiah are ready and laid out for all. What does it mean to be called, to be invited to the Lord's banquet, to share in His life? It means to love as He does. Loving as Jesus did does not mean lukewarm detachment and letting everyone do what they want. It means leading people to justice and truth. The man with no wedding robe was thrown out, bound, left to die - because he was not properly disposed to sharing in the banquet. Remember, he wasn't the only stranger there. He wasn't the only poor man there. The king asked his servants to invite them all. But it would seem in the story that he didn't even try. He showed up hoping to join in something rewarding without working for it. For us as Christians wearing the wedding robe of Baptism, we are meant to do something with it. When the Lord invites us to His table, what is the state of our Baptism garment? "Many are called," yes... but not all respond. Where are we? This is the challenge of today. We must be thankful for the great honour of being called. The right way of doing that is by loving like God. Let us examine ourselves as we approach the table of the Eucharist - thanksgiving - and as we journey towards the Heavenly banquet. Are we called? Are we chosen? Do we know or realize it? Do we act upon it? Do we share it with the world? "Many are called but few are chosen." October 05, 2014: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Today we have the third of Jesus' vineyard parables from Matthew. Who are we in the story? We can certainly think of ourselves as the tenants. How do we keep, use, and care for the vineyard leased to us? As tenants, will our reaction to the Master's servants be the same as in the story? Do we rejects the servant and hence the Master? Or will we accept the Master by welcoming the servant? ... ‪#‎KyrieEleison‬. We can think of ourselves as the servant. If the Master sends us, will we go - even if rejection is entirely possible? Are we willing to be sent by the Master to places where we would normally avoid for ourselves, if the Master wishes us to go there? Let's be clear - we do not seek suffering for its own sake. But we seek to be obedient to the will of the One whom we know, love and serve. But St Paul reminds us that there is truth, honor, justice, purity, love, grace - some form of excellence, however small - in everything. In obedience to God who is our Master, we follow the Son who shows us that love and mercy are always needed - even if not always accepted. As we mark the beginning of ‪#‎Synod14‬, on this ‪#‎LifeChain‬ Sunday, let us seek to be good carers of the Lord's vineyard. Let us uphold the importance of the family, let us iphold the dignity of human life. Let us be people who show the excellence of God's love. Through the intercession of our mother Mary, we pray that we be courageous to accept the Master and to be sent by Him when no one else would.